Parents warned not to cover baby's pram in cold weather - here's why

-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


As we enter the first few weeks of January, plummeting temperatures have hit Stoke-on-Trent and the rest of the UK, with a yellow weather warning for snow in place. This cold snap can present difficulties for parents, particularly those with young children in prams, as they navigate icy paths and dark evenings.

Parenting expert at Kiddies Kingdom, Kirsty Carroll, has shared five crucial tips to ensure your little ones stay warm and safe during frosty walks in their pushchairs.

Kirsty highlights a common mistake parents often make when trying to keep their children warm: covering the pram with a blanket. While it might seem like a clever way to fend off the cold, it can actually restrict airflow, potentially causing your baby to become too hot and risk overheating, reports the Mirror.

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Essential tips for winter-proofing your baby's pushchair

Keeping your baby warm

To keep your child snug, Kirsty recommends: "Layer up on clothes, as this traps the heat to keep your little one warm. A good rule of thumb is to give your baby one extra layer of clothing than what you're wearing.

"A snug base layer, insulated mid-layer, and weatherproof outer layer are ideal to shield them from the cold. Babies lose the most heat through the top of their heads, so don't forget a hat!"

Moreover, she warns against draping a blanket over the pram's opening, stating: "If tucking your baby in with a blanket, only ever go up to their chest, leaving their face exposed. A great alternative to a blanket is a foot muff, these are designed to fit into your pram or pushchair and sometimes have a harness for extra safety."

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Bracing for the elements

A rain cover becomes indispensable for winter strolls, ensuring your little one stays dry, snug, and protected from biting winds. It's vital to keep your baby warm and dry during the colder months, as wet or damp clothes won't dry quickly and could increase the risk of hypothermia.

Visibility matters

With winter bringing earlier darkness, journeys involving poorly-lit streets or traffic can pose safety concerns for those pushing prams and pushchairs. To ensure safety, Kirsty recommends: "Stick to main roads and avoid routes without streetlights."

She also suggests enhancing your pushchair's visibility with reflective tape or patches in low light conditions. And don't overlook personal visibility while they might not win any fashion awards, wearing a reflective vest or sash could be crucial for the safety of both you and your child.

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Reliable braking system

Kirsty emphasises the importance of having a reliable braking system on your pushchair, advising parents to choose prams with effective, easy-to-use brakes. She recommends selecting a model that locks both wheels to reduce the risk of skidding on slippery surfaces and stresses the need to keep the brakes out of children's reach.

Keep your pushchair's wheels clean

Navigating a pushchair can become tricky with the onset of wet weather, as mud tends to clog the wheels. Kirsty advises: "Wheels are thankfully very easy to clean, you can use a hose or pressure washer to remove any wet mud, or a stiff brush with warm water and washing up liquid to scrape off dry mud."

However, it's not just mud that poses a problem for pushchair maintenance; rock salt used during icy conditions can damage strollers. To combat this, Kirsty suggests regular wheel cleaning and applying a silicon-based spray to ensure the wheels turn smoothly.

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